The Trouble in the Third Trimester
by Katniss730
Summary: Five and a half months ago, Brennan had changed Booth's life by uttering the words: I'm pregnant. Or, perhaps it was the words that followed that pronouncement: You're the father. Today, Brennan would receive life altering news. NO SPOILERS FOR SEASON 7.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Trouble in the Third Trimester**_

_Prologue_

Five and a half months ago, Temperance Brennan had changed Seeley Booth's life by uttering two (or three depending upon how one counted contractions) words: _I'm pregnant_. Or, perhaps it was the three (or four) words that followed that pronouncement: _You're the father_.

Today, it was Brennan who would receive life altering news.

Brennan sat at her desk, engrossed in her work. She was about to get up to use the bathroom _again_, when she heard a knock at the door.

"Temperance?" asked a familiar male voice.

"Andrew," Brennan acknowledged.

Hacker took this as a signal to proceed, and he entered her office. He fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment.

"Temperance, Booth has been shot," he said somberly.

She looked at him with wide eyes, "Sh-shot?"

"He's on the way to the hospital -."

Brennan didn't wait for Andrew to utter another syllable. She jumped out of her chair as swiftly as her swollen stomach would allow.

As she threw her bag over her shoulder, Brennan asked, "What hospital?"

"George Washington," Andrew said blocking Brennan's path, "Let me take you. You shouldn't be driving in your…condition."

Brennan tried to maneuver past him, shouting, "No! If you had just called me, I could already have been at the hospital now!"

"Temperance, please," Andrew plead.

"Get…out…of…my way!" Brennan said shoving Andrew. He stumbled backwards, inadvertently clearing passage for her.

Cam had heard the yelling and walked into Brennan's office as she pushed past Andrew.

"Woah, what's going on?"

"Booth's been shot," Bones said her lip quivering.

"Oh," Cam exclaimed.

She quickly recovered from the shock and offered to go with Brennan to the hospital.

"Let me take my car. I have a siren," Andrew said, finally giving Brennan a reason to agree.

Brennan nodded, and the three of them quickly exited the Jeffersonian.

On the short ride to the hospital, Andrew, seated in the back of his own vehicle, filled in the details.

Booth was investigating the murder of a teen whose parents suspected he was involved with drugs. His body was found in an abandoned lot, but it didn't seem that he'd been killed there. The FBI had received a tip about a former drug house that the kid might have visited, which seemed like a possible location for the murder. No one was supposed to be there. When Booth heard the sound of footsteps in the house, he called for back up, but it was too late. The man lurking inside the house shot Booth in the leg. Booth fell to the ground. As Booth got off a shot, he was hit again – in the chest. By the time back up arrived, he was unconscious and the suspect had fled.

Cam glanced sideways at Brennan as Andrew spoke. He kept the details to a minimum, and Brennan didn't utter a word. Cam watched her brush away tears several times then return her hands protectively to her abdomen.

"We'll be there soon," Cam offered as she skillfully navigated D.C traffic.

Brennan nodded and the car remained silent until they reached the hospital entrance.

Cam had barely stopped the car next to the ambulance bay before Brennan darted out.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for all of the reviews and alerts! I hope you continue to give me your feedback!_

_**B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&**__**B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B**_

"Go with her," Andrew said, "I'll park the car."

When Cam entered the emergency room, Brennan was screaming at the receptionist. All eyes in the waiting room turned to the hysterical pregnant woman.

"Seeley Booth. The FBI agent. He was just brought in. I need to see him!"

"Are you family, ma'am?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm his partner," Brennan stated and placed both hands on her abdomen, "and this is his daughter."

The receptionist scrambled from her seat and promptly got a nurse.

A short haired, middle aged nurse emerged to address Brennan.

"Are you Mr. Booth's family?" she asked.

"Yes," Brennan said, giving no further explanation.

"He's in surgery. It will likely take a few hours. We don't know the extent of his injuries yet."

"No, no, I need to see him," Brennan cried.

The nurse placed her hand on Brennan's shoulder, "I'm sorry, dear. You can't. There's a family waiting room on the surgical floor. You can wait there, and the doctor will tell you when Mr. Booth is out of surgery."

Brennan stood still as a statue.

"Can I, um, call someone for you?" the nurse asked.

Cam stepped forward then and awkwardly put her arm around Brennan.

"Where is the waiting room?" she asked. 

The nurse kindly pointed them in the correct direction. Cam glanced over at Brennan as they waited for the elevator. Seven months pregnant, Brennan was nearly unrecognizable – emotionally – as the woman she'd met five years ago. While Brennan was still managing to hold it together, she was quite clearly distraught. If there relationship were different, Cam might have enveloped her in a hug.

Instead, just before the elevator door opened, Cam squeezed Brennan's hand and said, "Booth will pull through. He has a lot to live for."

Brennan smiled, nodded, and stepped into the elevator.

They arrived on the third floor and found the aforementioned waiting room. It was a small, square room that was clearly meant to be cheerful with floral print couches and yellow walls.

"I am going to call Angela," Cam informed Brennan.

Brennan nodded, "I – I guess I should call Rebecca."

Cam was about to offer to do so for Brennan, but Brennan had already pulled out her phone and begun dialing.

Brennan had an uncomfortable conversation with her boyfriend's ex, while Cam relayed the news to Angela.

As they wrapped up each of their conversations, Cam spotted a figured approaching and quickly ended her conversation. Not quickly enough, however. Brennan spotted the same person's approach, dropped her phone and rushed towards him.

"What are you doing here?" she yelled, "You have no right to be here! Why did you send him in alone?"

Hacker wasn't sure which question to answer first.

"Temperance, no one was supposed to be there -."

"Don't. Call. Me. Temperance!" Bones snarled before emitting an "oh".

Both Hacker and Cam looked at her with alarm as she brought her hands to her swollen belly.

"Is everything okay?" Hacker asked timidly, terrified that he may have sent a father-to-be to his death and caused that same man's girlfriend to enter premature labor within the span of an hour.

"Yes, the baby is typically more active when my heart rate increases," Brennan said calmly.

"Any leads on who…did this?" Cam chimed in.

Andrew shook his head, "No, but Agent Booth did get off a shot before taking the second bullet. The suspect is definitely injured; a trail of blood was found at the house. We are hoping he'll turn up at a local hospital or clinic."

Cam nodded.

Brennan's eyes filled with anger and fear as she uttered, "If my daughter grows up not knowing who her father is, I will hold you personally responsible."

Hacker looked as he was about to cry, when Brennan, who'd forgotten that she'd needed to use the bathroom before, hurried off to the bathroom.

Before leaving, she said evenly to Andrew, "I would prefer if you weren't here when I return."

Andrew looked at Cam, who merely shrugged and cocked her head to the side. Andrew gave Cam his card and requested that she called to update her on Booth's status.

When Brennan returned from the bathroom, she and Cam they sat in uncomfortable silence. The scenario was eerily familiar. Only three and a half years ago, everyone at lab, plus Sweets, had waited anxiously for news of the cause of Booth's hallucinations. Of course, then, Brennan had been by his side through the entire process and kept vigil at his bedside until he awoke. Then, after being reassured that Booth would make a full recovery, Brennan had quickly left for a dig.

Cam glanced sideways at Brennan. Three and a half years had certainly brought a lot of change to their rag tag group. During Booth's brain surgery, it had been clear to everyone – except Booth and Brennan – that there was far more than friendship between the partners. Now, there was a manifestation of their love for one another visible to the entire world.

"Do you, um, want something to drink? I think I saw a vending machine," Cam asked, breaking the silence.

Before Brennan could answer, Angela came bursting into the waiting room.

"Oh, sweetie. How are you doing? Have you heard anything?" Angela said, immediately taking the seat beside her best friend.

"He's in surgery. We won't know anything until he is out of surgery."

Angela nodded sympathetically, "We'll all be here waiting with you, sweetie."

Angela put her arm around Brennan, and to Angela's pleasant surprise, Brennan rested her head on Angela's shoulder.

The moment was fleeting, however, and soon, Brennan was asking if Hodgins was home with Michael. Angela answered in the affirmative, adding that once their babysitter arrived, he would be joining their vigil. In the mean time, Angela tried to fill the silence with lighthearted topics. She shared with Cam and Brennan the rumor that Sweets and Agent Shaw were dating. This spurred a twenty minute conversation about the young psychologist's love life. By the time the conversation wrapped up, Hodgins arrived, his hands full of a stack of photos of Michael. For once, everyone was grateful for his incessant sharing of photographs documenting how Michael spent his days.

"Look! Here, he is sitting up for the first time," Hodgins said, pointing to a photo of a chubby infant surrounded by decorative pillows.

After the fifth such picture, Angela turned to her best friend, "Sweetie, you should probably have something to eat. Didn't your OB recommend eating six small meals a day because of the diabetes?"

Brennan sighed and nodded.

"We can go down to the cafeteria. Get a change of scenery."

Bones shook her head vehemently, "No, I need to be here if they have an update on Booth."

"Right, well let me get you something," Angela insisted.

"Okay. Some tea and a snack would be fine," Brennan replied.

Hodgins volunteered to stay with Brennan while Angela and Cam went to retrieve Brennan's snack and tea and coffee for everyone else.

When Angela and Cam had left, Hodgins turned to face his boss.

"Dr. B., remember when we were trapped in that car?" he asked.

"Yes, of course. I have spent a significant amount of time trying to forget that day."

"Yeah," Hodgins said with a laugh, "me too, Dr. B."

"Anyway, we had no real hope of being rescued, but you still had faith in Booth."

"Faith is irrational," Brennan replied.

Hodgins laughed, "Yeah, you told me that that day too."

"I know you have a lot of faith in Booth. He's come through worse. Just have faith, baby. Sorry, the baby thing -."

"Is a reflex," Brennan said with a smile.

"Yeah," Hodgins replied, and hesitantly took her hand.

Brennan looked down at his hand wrapped around hers; there had been an unspoken intimacy between them her and Hodgins since they'd narrowly avoided death together. Brennan's mind momentarily flashed to the Dulles airport two years ago. As if testing the feel of the words on her lips, she'd told her best friend's husband that she loved him.

Brennan curled her fingers around Hodgins' hand and said, "I do."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I apologize for the delay between updates! It has been a crazy couple of weeks, but I hope to update sooner next time! As always thank you for your reviews, alerts, and favorite adds._

_Disclaimer: I don't own __**Bones**__. I do, however, consider myself the "owner" of this story. You are prohibited from copying it, and if you plan to write something similar, I would appreciate if you paid me the courtesy of informing me first._

* * *

><p>When returning with her best friend's snack, Angela paused before entering the waiting room, nearly causing Cam to run into her. Angela smiled at the sight of her husband sympathetically holding her best friend's hand. As Angela approached them, she mused that Sweets might say that her husband and best friend had bonded over experiencing a traumatic event.<p>

"Here's your tea, sweetie," Angela said, before handing her best friend the hot beverage.

As the sip of tea nearly scalded her mouth, a memory washed over her of Booth covering her coffee cup for fear that she'd burn mouth.

"…_Because, you and me, we're the center," Booth stated._

" _And the center must hold."_

"_Right. So, are we gonna hold?" Booth asked hopefully._

_After a moment's consideration, Brennan replied, "Yeah, we'll hold. We're the center._

"_The center," Booth repeated._

_The serious conversation soon devolved to bickering over whether or not she'd purposefully kissed his hand._

"_I did not kiss your hand! You put it over my coffee cup."_

"_Felt like you kissed it," Booth rebutted._

"_No."_

"_Felt like it."_

"_No."_

Booth had been the center of her life for a long time now; she'd only been too frightened too admit it. Soon, the tiny life they created together would be the center of their lives – one life shared.

Brennan was shaken emotionally and physically at the memory of her foolish former self. As the cup of tea shook in her trembling hand, threatening to spill, a watchful Cam grabbed it from her hand.

"Dr. Brennan," Cam said cautiously, "Maybe you should lie down for a few minutes."

Angela and Hodgins looked at her wide-eyed, suspecting how her suggestion would be received.

"No," snapped Brennan, "and don't speak to me like a child."

Cam mumbled something before placing Brennan's tea on the table beside her.

"I'm sorry," Brennan said softly, "I know you intend to be helpful."

"No need to apologize," Cam said with a slight smile.

"I'm pregnant with his child," Brennan said by way of explanation, as if this may come to a surprise to them.

Everyone looked at her with both pity and puzzlement.

"I have to use the restroom," she said and promptly left the room.

They all watched Brennan walk in the direction of the restroom.

When she was presumably out of earshot, Angela exclaimed, "God! It's just too awful. After six years, they finally get their act together, and then…then…this!"

Angela buried her face in her husband's shoulder.

Hodgins gently stroked his wife's forehead, "I know. It's going to be okay. Booth's going to be okay."

"He has to be," Angela replied, her voice muffled by Hodgins' sweater, "I don't know -."

Angela's statement was cut short by the sound of approaching footsteps. Angela sat up in her seat, not wanting her best friend to see that she'd devolved into tears in her absence.

"Sweets!" Angela exclaimed with surprise, "Did someone call you?"

"I work for the FBI, remember?" replied an annoyed Sweets.

Angela and Cam glanced at one another, feeling slightly bad that neither of them had thought to call Sweets.

"Had there been any update on Booth's condition?" asked a harried Sweets.

Cam proceeded to fill Sweets in on the details of the shooting and the little information they had received in the emergency room. Sweets nodded along, somberly.

"And Dr. Brennan, how is she handling this?"

"She's holding it together," Angela replied.

"She hasn't cried?" Sweets asked.

Cam stood abruptly thrusting her hands on her hips, "Of course she's cried! If you are here as Booth and Brennan's former psychologist, you should leave. If you're here as their friend, take a seat."

Angela and Hodgins gaped at Cam in amazement. Neither of them was sure they'd ever be able to protect Brennan in exactly the same manner that Booth would as well as Cam had just managed to do.

Shamed, Sweets sat down, "You're right."

In the emotional moment, no one had heard Brennan's approaching footsteps.

She halted at the doorway upon seeing the latest member to join their party, "Sweets, what are you doing here?"

Sweets dodged the obvious question and rose to meet Brennan.

"How are you doing?"

Sweets put his hand on Brennan's shoulder then promptly removed it after receiving a glare from her.

"I…I'm worried," Brennan said tiredly.

Everyone looked at Sweets, hoping he wouldn't challenge her to explore her feelings more. Sweets, however, was content that Brennan didn't say she was "fine," and left the subject alone.

An hour passed, during which Angela confronted Sweets about the rumor that he was romantically involved with Agent Shaw. Sweets confirmed the rumor but not without his face turning bright red. Just as the conversation slowed, another person joined their vigil.

"Dad?" asked Brennan upon spotting her father's figure down the hallway.

"Sweetheart," Max said rushing towards him, "I saw it on the news."

"Th-the shooting was on the news?" Brennan asked, thinking of Parker.

Rebecca had planned on waiting until Booth's prognosis was known to tell Parker that his father had been shot. Brennan had agreed that this seemed like a wise plan. She only hoped that Rebecca didn't watch the six o'clock news.

"It was only a 30 second blurb about an FBI agent being shot, and they showed Booth's picture."

Brennan nodded, biting nervously on her lower lip.

"Oh, sweetheart," Max said to his daughter as he enveloped her in an embrace.

* * *

><p><em>Two hours later<em>

A tall, thin, man appeared in the doorway of the waiting room. Everyone was immediately silent, eagerly, but tensely, awaiting what he'd say.

"I understand you're the family of Mr. Booth."

Before anyone else could respond, Brennan was on her feet.

"Yes, we are."

The others exchanged nervous smiles at her reply.

"Are you his wife?" the young doctor asked.

"We're not married," Brennan said uncomfortably.

"Oh," the doctor replied, unlikely to make the assumption again, "If you come with me, we can discuss -."

"Anything you had to say can be said in front of everyone," Brennan replied.

"Okay. Well, Mr. Booth survived the surgery and is in recovery."

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief at this news.

"Fortunately, the gunshot wound to the thigh missed the femoral artery. However, the gunshot to the chest caused a pneumothorax, commonly known as -."

"Collapsed lung," Cam chimed in, "I'm a pathologist, and she is a forensic anthropologist. We are familiar with medical terminology."

The doctor, who now seemed thoroughly intimidated by the formidable women before him, continued, "Yes, well, the pneumothorax was large and did not receive immediate medical treatment. It developed into a tension pneumothorax."

Cam and Brennan both nodded somberly, "Before performing the needle thoracostomy, he went into cardiac arrest."

Brennan's lower lip trembled as she mentally reminded herself that the doctor had already said that Booth was alive.

"We revived him and were able to place a chest tube to remove air from the intrathoracic space."

"Is he…stable?" Brennan asked after searching for the correct word.

"Yes, at this point. The chest tube may need to remain in place for up to four days. If this does not resolve the air leak, additional surgery may be necessary."

A million thoughts ran through Brennan's head but only one was verbalized, "Can I see him?"

The doctor nodded, "A nurse will come to get you shortly to take you back. You can only stay for fifteen minutes. Then, he will be moved to the ICU."

"Okay, thank you."

The doctor turned and left. As his form grew smaller in the distance, Brennan turned to Cam.

"Needle thoracostomy and chest tube placement…is that the standard treatment for a tension pneumothorax?"

Cam looked at her wide-eyed, "You're asking me?"

"Yes," Brennan replied, "You attended medical school; I did not."

A surprised Cam replied, "Yes, that is the standard of care for tension pneumothorax, in my recollection at least. Paul has a friend who is a thoracic surgeon. I can ask Paul to run the scenario by his friend."

"I would appreciate that, thank you."

Cam smiled in response before proceeding to explain the doctor's words to the rest of their friends. Sweets and Hodgins nodded along, having understood some of the doctor's explanation. Angela barely suppressed tears as she gripped her husband's hand tightly. Max kept an expressionless face but reached for his daughter's hand.

A few moments later, a nurse came to take Brennan back to see Booth.

"He is still attached the ventilator and many monitors. It can be difficult for family members to see," she explained.

Brennan nodded. She'd seen Booth on a ventilator before. She'd seen surgeons cut through his flesh then saw through his skull to expose his brain. She'd seen a mass the size of a baseball removed from his brain.

Comparatively, the sight of Booth attached to monitors and a ventilator was mild. Yet, when the nurse pulled back the curtain, Brennan felt her legs weaken. Suddenly the view of Booth lying in the hospital bed grew black, and she fell to the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: __This is a short one, but at least it's on time! Thanks for reading!_

_**B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&**__**B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B**_

_A somber looking woman held the hand of little girl, who looked to be no older than five. The little girl delighted in pulling petals off of low branches as they walked._

"_Where are we going, Mama?" the little girl trying to keep up with her mother asked._

_The woman slowed down a bit, noting that her daughter was struggling to keep up. She sighed loudly and stopped altogether._

"_Do you remember some of the things I've told you about your father, Abby?" the woman, Brennan, said squatting to her daughter's height._

_The girl nodded vigorously, "You said that my daddy was in heaven."_

_Brennan nodded in response. When Abby had first asked about her own father after spending an evening with her mother's father, Brennan had been prepared to launch into a speech about what happens – and does not happen – after death. Yet, when she saw Booth's chocolate brown eyes looking back at her, she changed her mind. Brennan knew Booth would want their little girl to think he was in the heaven._

"_You said that Daddy was very brave and loved me very much even if he only knew me when I was in your tummy."_

_Brennan smiled, "Yes, he did. Abby, when people die, the people who loved them bury them in the ground."_

"_But, I thought you said Daddy was in heaven, how can he be at two places at the same time?" Abby asked._

"_Well, only Daddy's body is in the ground. His soul is in heaven," Brennan replied, mentally noting that she could present her daughter with the facts later in life._

_Her daughter nodded with understanding._

"_We are going to visit where Daddy is buried. Mama comes here sometimes to talk to him."_

"_Can he talk back?" Abby asked curiously._

"_No, but I promised your daddy a long time ago that if something happened to him, I would visit," Brennan said, unsuccessfully trying to hold back tears._

"_It's okay to cry if you are sad, Mama."_

_Brennan smiled slightly._

"_You miss Daddy," Abby guessed._

"_Every day," Brennan said, scooping her daughter up and into her arms, "I loved your daddy very much; that's why you are here on this earth."_

"_Where else would I be, Mama?" Abby asked, genuinely confused._

"_Never mind, sweetheart. I think you are old enough now to come visit you daddy with me."_

_Abby nodded, "I will be in kindergarten soon!"_

"_Yes, you will," Brennan confirmed with nod._

_She knelt down to return her daughter to the ground. Brennan took her small hand, and they continued their walk towards the cemetery._

* * *

><p>"No, no," Brennan groaned.<p>

"Bren! Sweetie, thank God you are okay!"

"Ang? Where am I?" asked a disoriented Brennan.

"You're in a hospital. You passed out and hit your head."

"Why did you take me to the hospital if I merely passed out? How long have I been unconscious?"

Angela squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, "We were already here…for Booth."

"Booth," Brennan repeated softly, tears springing to her eyes.

"He's gonna be okay, sweetie. He already pulled through surgery.

Brennan looked her quizzically, "But he…my daughter and I were…"

Brennan's voice trailed off before she frantically asked "The baby! Is she okay?"

Angela gestured to the fetal monitor around Brennan's stomach, "She's fine. You were unconscious for a few minutes. When the nurse called for assistance, we all came running. They said only one of us could sit with you."

"I fought your dad for it," Angela said with a mischievous smile.

"Booth came through surgery?" Brennan asked, her memory of the last several hours returning to her.

"Where is he? Did they move him?" she asked apprehensively.

"Not yet, but everyone will head up to the ICU waiting room when they do."

"I need to," Brennan began as she removed the pulseox from her finger, "be with Booth."

Angela grabbed Brennan's hand before she pulled off the leads on her chest, "They need to monitor you, sweetie. You hit your head; you could have concussion."

"That's unlikely. In any case, I'm not leaving the hospital. I am sure that the nurse caring for Booth in the ICU would be more than capable of determining if I have a concussion."

"Sweetie, at least let the neurologist examine you," Angela plead.

"Ang, that's not necessary. I need to be there when Booth wakes up," Brennan replied adamantly.

"He won't wake up alone, Bren."

Brennan shook her head, "_I_ need to be there when he wakes up."

An understanding washed over Angela.

"Sweetie, Booth knows you wouldn't leave."

"I have in the past."

"That's the great thing about the past…it's over," Angela said with a smile.

Brennan nodded hesitantly in response.

"You know that Booth would want to make sure that you're okay. He'd want you to get checked out by a doctor."

Brennan considered Angela's statement for a moment then replied, "Okay."

* * *

><p>An hour and a half later, Brennan and Angela waited for the elevator to take them to the ICU. A concussion had been deemed "unlikely" based on the neurological and physical examinations. Brennan had patently refused a CT scan due to the risks to her unborn daughter. Over an hour of fetal monitoring showed a steady heart rate. She had been released with instructions to report to the ER immediately if any neurological changes were noted or she experienced any cramping or bleeding.<p>

As Brennan boarded the elevator, any thoughts of her own health faded. No matter what her dreaming mind had conjured, Booth was alive, and according to Cam, stable. He was still unconscious, but responded to stimuli.

In a moment, Brennan would be at Booth's side. Right where she belonged.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N:__Thank__you__for__your__patience__with__my__slow__updating__of__this__story.__As__always,__thanks__for__reading__and__reviewing!_

_**B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&**__**B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B**_

When Bones and Angela exited the elevator, Brennan made a beeline for the entrance to the ICU.

"Sweetheart! How are you feeling?" her father asked her, blocking her entrance to the intensive care unit.

"I'm fine, Dad. The baby's fine. I need to be with Booth."

Brennan's tone left no room for argument. She was about to continue towards the door to the ICU when she noted that everyone was present in the waiting room.

"No one is with Booth! Why isn't anyone with Booth?" she asked at increasing volume.

"Th-th-they would only let family members back," Sweets sputtered.

"Family members? Family members! Booth would not have allowed some arbitrary regulation to prevent him for supporting any of you!"

Before any of them could defend themselves, Brennan stormed through the double doors.

"I am here to see Seeley Booth," Brennan commanded.

"Are you family?" a portly nurse asked with her hands on her hips.

"Yes," Brennan replied curtly and placed both hands on her abdomen, "This is his daughter."

The nurse seemed to take in Brennan's pregnant form before nodding, "He is in room 523, second to last on the left."

Once given direction, Brennan walked briskly down the hallway. She paused before entering Booth's room and took a deep breath. Quietly, she crossed the threshold of the small room. The curtain was drawn around the bed Booth lie in. She pulled back the curtain slightly, enough to reveal the chair beside his bed. Slowly, Brennan lower herself into the chair then reached for Booth's hand.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here," she said softly, "but I'm here now. I will be here when you wake up and when you go home."

_Home_. Brennan wasn't quite sure where that was these days. She had unofficially taken up residence in Booth's apartment. Although hers was larger, his apartment felt – Boothy. They hadn't discussed where they'd live when their daughter was born. Booth's apartment was too small to accommodate both a baby and Parker.

Brennan's train of thought was interrupted by a groan.

"Booth?" Brennan said rising from her seat, "Booth, can you hear me?"

Silence.

Brennan ran her hands over the scruff of her beard.

"Booth, please wake up," Brennan said pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"You have to wake up," she said with a sob. "I can't do this without you. I don't _want_ to do this without you."

Brennan fell back into her seat, buried her head in her hands, and sobbed. Her mind was continuously returning to her horrible dream.

"Excuse me," said a woman who appeared to be around Brennan's age, "I'm sorry to interrupt."

Brennan shook her head and furiously wiped away tears.

"My name is Amanda. I will Seeley's nurse until seven AM," she said with a smile.

"I'm D – I'm Temperance. He was groaning. Is he in pain? Could you speak with the doctor about increasing morphine?" Brennan asked.

"The groaning could be unrelated to pain, but I'll put a call in to the resident. You can hit the call button if it happens again."

Brennan nodded.

"How far along are you?" Amanda asked softly.

"I'll be thirty-two weeks on Friday," Brennan said, lovingly stroking her swollen abdomen

"Is this your first?" Amanda asked.

"Yes….well, our first together. He has a ten year old son from a previous relationship," Brennan amended.

Amanda smiled, "The first is so exciting…not that the second isn't, but with the first pregnancy, everything's new."

Brennan nodded. For the last thirty-one weeks, she'd been in awe of the many transformations her body had undergone. She was also in awe of how incredible it felt to be sharing this with Booth, as a couple. Brennan sometimes found herself chiding herself for being fearful of intimacy with Booth for so long. Yet, here she was, nearly thirty two weeks pregnant and fearing for Booth's life.

"Yes, we are very excited," Brennan reiterated.

Amanda smiled sadly, "Well, hopefully, we will get your husband out of here and back to his old self in time for your little one's arrival."

"We, uh…I hope so," Brennan replied.

Amanda looked at her curiously before asking, "Can I get you anything? A pillow? I know those seats aren't very comfortable."

"No, thank you. I'm fine," then Brennan added, "Our friends were told that only family was allowed to visit -."

"Let me guess, Barbara told you that," Amanda said with a huff.

"I don't know her name. She appeared to be in her late forties, approximately 165 centimeters tall, overweight."

Amanda chuckled, "Yeah, that's Barbara. She's a stickler for the rules. Write down your friend's names, and I will make sure there aren't any further problems. Only two people are allowed during visiting hours."

"When are visiting hours?" Brennan asked.

"8 – 11 AM, 2-4 PM, and 6-8 PM. We make exceptions for spouses, of course."

Brennan nodded. There was no harm in letting people think she was Booth's wife if it enabled her to stay by his side.

"Thank you," Brennan replied.

Amanda smiled in return before leaving. Brennan checked her watch. It was almost nine o'clock, so none of theer friends would be able to see Booth tonight. She knew that she should give them all an update but was loath to leave his side. Brennan stood and took Booth's hand in hers.

"I have to step out for a moment, but I will be right back. I promise."

Brennan moved Booth's hand to her abdomen, "She's kicking. She's been kicking a lot today."

Brennan held Booth's hand there for a moment longer, as tears ran down her cheeks, then she gave him a soft kiss on the forehead and rejoined her friends.

The squint squad plus Sweets and Max were sitting silently in the waiting room. It had been over a half an hour since Brennan had yelled at them for their refusal to side step the rules. Five anxious sets of eyes greeted Brennan when she walked into the waiting room. If Sweets had any doubt of her emotional reaction to Booth's shooting, it was quite clear now. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her mascara smeared.

"He's still unconscious, but otherwise stable," Brennan began, "I've spoken to the nurse. He is permitted to have visitors from eight to eleven AM, two to four PM, and six to eight PM."

"So, you – you, can't stay?" asked Angela.

Brennan nodded, "The nurse said they would make an exception, since I'm, um, family. Like family."

Angela smiled at her best friend, "There's more than one kind of family, Bren. You're carrying his baby; you practically live together. You and Booth are family."

Brennan smiled slightly. Booth had told her the same thing once – there's more than one kind of family.

"Sweetheart, don't you think Booth would rather you sleep in your own bed? You're seven months pregnant and passed out a few hours ago," Max suggested, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Brennan recoiled, "I am well aware that I am seven months pregnant and of events that occurred earlier today. I will not be leaving this hospital until Booth is awake."

Having made her intentions clear, Brennan wished the rest of the group good night and promised to call if there was any change in Booth's status before heading back into Booth's room.

Brennan returned to her seat beside Booth's bed and took his hand in hers again. She turned his hand over in hers, running her thumb over the lines of his hand.

"I love you," she uttered, "I know I don't say it enough, but I do. Sometimes, it still scares me – loving you, having a baby with you, tethering my life to yours forever. But I know that the prospect of not being able to doing those things, living a life not shared with you, scares me much, much more."

Brennan leaned her forehead against Booth's temple and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"I love you," she whispered.

As Brennan pulled away, she heard her cell phone ring. Picking it up, she noted it was an unfamiliar number.

"410. Baltimore," she said to herself.

Thinking it may be Jared calling about his brother, she answered.

"Hello."

"_Temperance, it's -."_

"I know who it is," Brennan said softly, immediately recognizing the distantly familiar voice.

"_I took a position in Baltimore. I saw on the news ticker that Seeley had been shot. Is he – is he okay?"_

"He's stable," was Brennan's short reply.

"_I – I thought he might need someone to -."_

Brennan quickly cut the woman on the other end of the line off, "He has someone. Me."

Before she could utter a single syllable in response, Brennan hung up.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Many thanks for all of the reviews from last chapter! The next chapter will most likely not be posted from close to two weeks, as I will be away for business._

_**B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B**_

Hannah called once more. Brennan didn't answer and promptly turned her phone on silent and shoved it in the drawer of Booth's night stand. She pulled down the rail of Booth's bed on the side opposite his chest tube and gunshot wound. Gingerly, Brennan laid her head down on his arm. She sobbed softly into his shoulder as she had the night Vincent died, and she and Booth had conceived the child growing inside her. Gradually, Brennan's tiredness overcame her worry, and she succumbed to sleep.

She slept for nearly eight hours, waking briefly when a nurse's aid came in to record Booth's vital signs. She finally woke at seven when the surgical attending came in during morning rounds. Although he seemed eager to get on with his day, the doctor answered the questions that Brennan asked. The doctor said that air still seemed to be draining from the chest tube, but more slowly than before. He was hopeful that no further intervention would be needed.

Shortly after the doctor left, Angela came barging into Booth's room.

"Oh, thank God you are okay!" she exclaimed upon seeing her best friend sitting, holding her partner's hand.

Brennan looked at her curiously.

"I've been calling you for the last hour!"

"Oh," Brennan exclaimed, just recalling that she'd silenced her phone – and the reason she'd done so, "I'm sorry. I put my phone on silent to try to get some sleep."

"It's okay," said a relieved Angela, "I was just worried about you...and Booth, of course."

"I appreciate your concern, Ang. The doctor was just here. He seemed to feel positive about Booth's prognosis."

"That's great, sweetie."

Despite the words she'd just spoken, Brennan couldn't prevent tears from welling in her eyes, "I just…I can't believe this is happening."

Angela put her arm around her best friend, "I know, sweetie. I don't think any of us can, but it's just a bump – a really big one – in the road for your guys."

Brennan nodded.

"You two were meant to be together, sweetie."

"I don't believe in fate," Brennan asserted.

"You don't have to believe in something for it to exist," Angela countered gently.

Brennan merely shook her head in response.

"How many forensic anthropologists work with an FBI agent the way you do with Booth?" Angela asked.

"None, I suspect. There are fewer than one hundred certified forensic anthropologists, and perhaps another several dozen who identify themselves as forensic anthropologists without certification."

"Right, but none of them are partnered with an FBI agent, correct?"

"Not to my knowledge," Brennan replied, "but forensic anthropologists frequently work with law enforcement."

"Don't you think there has to be some reason in the grand scheme of things for why you and Booth were partnered together?"

"No, I blackmailed him into allowing me to go into the field with him," Brennan reminded her friend.

Angela shook her lightly and smiled, "Just the fact that you and Booth were paired up. He came to _you_ for help with the Arrington case."

"Cam recommended that Booth seek me out, due to her knowledge of my expertise," Brennan reminded Angela.

Angela shook her head, " Bren, I know that you felt something for Booth from the very beginning."

Brennan was silent after this. She considered countering Angela's statement with the fact that, of course, she'd been attracted to Booth when she'd first seen him, as had Angela, but did not.

Angela merely smiled at her surprise triumph.

"'Did you eat any breakfast?" she asked.

"Yes, the nurse brought me in something shortly before you came."

"Good," said Angela, satisfied that Brennan was taking care of herself.

Angela left just before visiting hours ended at eleven, and, although Brennan had been grateful for the company, she was also glad to be alone with Booth once again.

"I know that you may be able to hear me, since you heard me after your brain surgery," Brennan's voice trailed off as she was filled with the memories of those few days.

"I hoped I'd never be in that position again," Brennan said as a few tears fell down her cheek.

"Angela – Angela agrees with your hypothesis that we were fated to be together. As you know, I don't believe in fate. Aside from the lack of evidence, it just seems too…easy. It takes away personal responsibility for one's choices. I love you, because I _choose_ to love you. Yes, I was attracted to you immediately, and when we kissed I felt _something_, possibility perhaps."

Brennan looked down at Booth and gently stroked his forehead, "I spent years trying to convince myself that loving you openly, being in a relationship with you wasn't worth the possible emotional turmoil if it ended badly. But I was wrong, and I was afraid that I might have to regret my decision forever. Then, we got a chance in the form of the loss of a life and the conception of a new one."

Tears were now streaming down Brennan's face, as she poured her heart out to her unconscious lover.

"I choose _you_," she said softly, "to raise our daughter together as a family, to share my life with for an indefinite period of time, to love in a way I'd never thought possible."

Brennan rested her head on Booth's shoulder and whispered, "I choose you."

As Brennan lay on Booth's shoulder, she felt a slight, almost imperceptible movement beneath her head.

"Booth?" she said, quickly raising her head, "Booth?"

Booth's eyes slowly fluttered open and found the blue eyes that were fixed upon him.

Brennan was barely able to hold back tears as she told Booth about his injuries.

"You're in a hospital," she said gently running her hand down his uninjured arm, "You were shot…in the leg and chest. The chest wound caused a pneumo – a collapsed lung."

Brennan could tell that Booth was able to try to speak in response and brought her hand to his cheek, "Shh, you have tube down your throat helping you breathe. Just nod if you understand me."

Booth nodded slightly.

"Good. They had to put a tube in your chest to drain the excess air from your lung, so it can re-inflate normally," Brennan said gently touching her fingertips to the area just above where the tube was inserted.

Booth nodded in understanding.

"Are – are you in pain?"

Booth shook his head every so slightly, and Brennan feared that he was merely giving her the response he knew she wanted to hear.

Brennan was about to call the nurse when she decided to ask the question she most needed an answer to.

"Booth, do you know who I am?" she asked, her voice quivering with trepidation.

Booth reached for her hand and squeezed it, then nodded in an affirmative response.

As tears began cascading down his partner's cheek, Booth placed his palm over Brennan's swollen abdomen. After brushing away tears, Brennan put her hand on top of Booth's and allowed herself to believe that everything would be alright.


	7. Chapter 7

Another several moments passed before reached for the call bell to alert the nurse about Booth's change in status.

"The nurse will be here in a minute," she said soothingly to Booth.

Booth nodded sleepily.

"If everything okay?" said the nurse, Melanie, rushing into the room.

"He's awake," Brennan said with a joyous smile.

The nurse seemed equally delighted. She did a brief assessment of Booth's status before leaving the room to page the resident.

"I'll be right back. I am going to call Angela and let her know that you are awake," Brennan said as a she pressed a kiss to Booth's forehead.

Brennan quickly scurried after the nurse, "Excuse me."

"Yes, Temperance?"

"Could you please ask the resident to increase the dosage of Booth's morphine? He's in pain."

"Of course," Melanie said with a smile before continuing towards the nurses' station.

Brennan, eager to return to Booth's bedside, quickly pulled out her phone and dialed Angela's number.

When Angela answered the phone, Brennan announced that Booth was awake and burst into tears. Angela let her best friend have her cry, offered comforting words, and promised to pass the good news along to the rest of the squints, Rebecca, and Max before the conversation was concluded.

Within an hour of Booth regaining consciousness, the doctor had increased Booth's pain medication and ordered that his breathing tube be removed. Brennan sat by helplessly as Booth coughed and struggled to breathe as the tube was removed.

No longer encumbered by the breathing tube, Booth was eager to communicate with his girlfriend through more than nods.

Through an oxygen mask, Booth asked in a cracked, raspy voice, "Did they catch him?"

Brennan was momentarily confused.

"Oh, no. No, they didn't," she said sadly.

Booth nodded and reached for her hand, "How are you?"

"Me?" Brennan said with a laugh, "You're the one who was shot, Booth."

Hoarsely, Booth rebutted, "You're the one carrying our baby, who had to deal with me being shot."

Brennan choked back tears, "You're going to be okay, so I am going to be okay."

Booth squeezed his partner's hand and pulled the oxygen mask away from his face, "I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Booth," Brennan said, placing the mask over Booth's mouth again, "You should rest. Your throat must be sore."

Booth nodded slightly. Brennan entwined her fingers with Booth's again and rested her head on Booth's shoulder and promptly fell asleep.

When visiting hours resumed, Brennan was awakened by Cam, who was eager to see her friend recovering. There was a steady stream of visitors for the rest of the day until visiting hours ended. Against Booth's protest, Brennan spent another night at his bedside. In the morning, the doctor once again arrived early. He delivered the happy news that Booth's chest tube was no longer draining air and could be removed. Booth would also be moved to a step down unit after being monitored for a few hours in ICU after the chest tube was removed.

After receiving the good news, Brennan stepped out of the room to retrieve a glass of ice water for Booth. As she exited the room, the nurse entered.

"Hi, Seeley. I'm Amanda. I understand that you are going to be moving in a few hours."

Booth smiled, "Yep."

"I was your nurse when you came out of surgery, which you obviously don't remember," she said with a smile.

Booth chuckled, "No, I definitely don't remember."

"I spoke with your wife quite a bit. Congratulations on the baby. Your wife seems very excited…and very devoted to you."

Booth was speechless for a moment. He knew, of course, that the nurse was referring to Bones, but Booth couldn't imagine Bones would have told her she was his wife.

"Mr. Booth?"

"Yeah, uh, we're both really excited. I hate that she had to go through this when she's seven months pregnant."

Amanda nodded sympathetically, "Well, hopefully you won't have any more of that type of excitement again."

Booth chuckled, "Yeah that would nice."

"Well, don't hesitate to call me if you need anything. I'll check back in soon."

"Thanks," Booth said and was left alone to ponder what the nurse had said.

_That Evening_

Booth decided not to broach the topic of Bones being called herself his wife. If he was being honest with himself, he had to admit that the thought of Bones' willingness to let anyone assume they were husband and wife made him feel warm all over.

Currently, at his behest, Bones was down in the cafeteria getting some dinner. Booth sighed and hoped the worst from over for him and Bones. He had a dangerous job – they both did. He would soon be the father of two. Maybe it was time to take a desk job, one of the supervisory positions he'd been offered over the years. Booth's train of thought was derailed by a familiar voice.

"Hey, soldier. Glad to see you're feeling better".

"H-Hannah? What are you doing here?" Booth asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, good to see you too, Seeley," Hannah said with a laugh, "Didn't Temperance tell you I'd called?"

"Uh, no. She didn't," Booth replied, his mind reeling. In addition to everything Bones had been through over the last forty-eight hours, she'd had to deal with a call from his 'ex' too?

"Oh, well. She was pretty abrupt on the phone. I guess she was really upset," Hannah stated.

Booth nodded slightly.

"Well, I am glad you are doing better. I read about the shooting. I was so worried," Hannah said softly.

Booth said nothing, still astonished that she was here.

"Look, Seeley, I know we left things…badly. I meant what I said that I don't think it is over between us…"

Booth finally summoned words to respond, "No, Hannah, it is. You told me you didn't want anything serious when we first met. I should have listened."

Before Hannah could reply, a cheerful Brennan announced her return.

"I brought you back some pudding, and an -," Brennan stopped and stood, open mouthed at the sight of Hannah.

"Bones, she was –"

"Hannah?"

"Temperance! You're pregnant!" observed an astounded Hannah.

"Yes," Brennan replied, looking from Booth to his former lover.

"Congratulations! I didn't know you were seeing anyone," Hannah commented.

"How would you? We haven't spoken in nearly a year."

Despite the awkwardness of the situation, Booth couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend's response.

"Right," Hannah said bitterly, "Well, I am sure that -."

Suddenly realization washed over her.

"_He has someone. Me."_

Brennan hadn't merely meant that she was keeping vigil at Seeley's bedside.

Hannah clapped her hand over her mouth in astonishment, "Oh my God! You're having Seeley's baby!"

Brennan nodded.

"Yes, she is," Booth replied, "Bones and I are together."

Booth motioned for Bones to come over. When she was back at his bedside, he reached for her hand.

"I'm sorry, Hannah, but like I said, you and I, that's in the past."

"And you sure didn't waste any time," she replied, looking at Booth and Brennan with disgust.

She then glared at Brennan and said, "You couldn't take him away from me when we were dating, then once I was out of the picture, you -."

"Stop right there, Hannah," Booth commanded, "I loved Bones before, during, and after you were my girlfriend. I appreciate your concern, but I think you should leave."

Hannah opened her mouth to offer a rebuttal then closed it again.

After muttering, "Goodbye, Seeley," she turned on her heel and stormed out.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: So, once again, I'm sorry for the delay. The last week was spent cleaning in preparation for hosting Thanksgiving, hosting Thanksgiving, then recuperating from it. This is the second to last chapter before the epilogue. Anyway, to recap, in the last chapter, Hannah showed up at the hospital._

_**B&B* B&B* B&B* B&B* B&B* B&B* B&B* B&B* B&B* B&B* B&B* B&B* B&B**_

"I'm so sorry, Bones," Booth said, clumsily wrapping his arms around her rounded abdomen.

"It – it's okay. She called while you were unconscious. I should have told you. I never imagined she'd show up here."

"I know. She told me she called."

"Oh," Bones replied, lowering her head.

Booth tipped Bones chin up, so he could his girlfriend's brilliant blue eyes, "I'm sorry that you had to deal with that while everything else was going on."

Bones nodded and bit her lower lip in an attempt to prevent the tears welling in her eyes from falling. She and Booth had discussed Hannah, but they both bore blame in the events of last year. The night their daughter was conceived, they forgave one another their past transgressions and didn't look back.

"I never stopped loving you. You know that, right?" Booth asked insistently.

Bones hesitated, "When you were with Hannah, after the case with the polygamist, you told me that you can love a lot of people in this world, but there's only one person you love the most."

Booth nodded. He hadn't realized then how insensitive it was to say such a thing to the woman who had broken his heart and whose heart he later crushed in return.

"I – I was never sure if you were speaking of Hannah or -."

"You, Bones. Always. I've known that from the first time I met you. Hannah _was_ a consolation prize. I was hurt, and I used her," Booth said shamefully.

"But you loved her. You wanted to marry her," Bones asserted.

"I thought I loved her…maybe I did, but not the way I love you, Bones. I could never love _anyone_ the way I love you."

Booth took both of Bones' hands in his, "Bones, I love you. You, Parker, and our daughter are my life. I didn't need anything else, just the three of you."

Bones smiled through the tears that were now running freely down her cheeks, "Well, you need water and food to survive."

"I guess," Booth said, grinning broadly and leaning his body closer to hers.

Bones closed the gap between them and pressed her lips against Booth's. Before letting herself get lost in the kiss, Bones momentarily reflected on the possibility that she'd nearly never been able to kiss him again and found it difficult to breathe.

He tasted of the minty toothpaste she'd assisted him in brushing his teeth with earlier, and the scruff from Booth's three day beard felt rough against her lips. After they kissed, Booth scooted over in the bed to make room for Bones. Despite her objections that she might injure him, Bones slid into the bed beside him. She gently nuzzled her head into shoulder after double checking to ensure his comfort.

"Did she bring a gift?" Bones asked randomly.

"What?" Booth replied with a laugh.

"Hannah. Did she bring you a gift?"

"No," replied a confused Booth, "Why?"

"When Hannah was shot, I came to visit her. She informed me that it was customary to bring a gift when visiting someone in the hospital. Since I did not bring a gift, she accepted my sunglasses as a gift."

"She what!" exclaimed Booth.

"I gave her my sunglasses."

"Hannah stole your sunglasses from you, because you didn't bring a gift…after you saved her life!" Booth cried incredulously.

"Well, technically, it wasn't stealing. I gave them to her."

Booth pressed a kiss to his girlfriend's forehead, "She had no right to do that. W-why did you visit Hannah?"

Booth wasn't sure what response to expect, but he needed to know why she'd tortured herself to visit the woman he was sleeping with at the time.

"I wanted to see how she was progressing," Bones said then averted her eyes, "and I asked her to consider taking less dangerous assignments."

"Oh, Bones! I'm so sorry that I was so blind…"

"Booth," Bones interrupted, "You said you were going to move on, and you did. We agreed that we both regret having hurt one another in the past. We can't change the past. The only thing we can do is modify our behavior in the future."

Booth framed Brennan's face with his palms. From early in their partnership, he'd recognized a certain innocence in her frank statements. He knew that others often mistook her honesty for condescension. While Bones could be condescending, she would admit, more freely now than in the past, when something was out of her realm of expertise. On those matters, Booth sometimes underestimated her as well.

Booth rested his forehead against his partner's, "I know. I still wish I could turn back time, though."

"That would be a very useful skill," Bones said with a smile.

"But we are going to have a wonderful future together, the three of us."

"We are," Bones agreed, "I think the best way to atone for our past mistakes is to replace those unpleasant memories with happy ones."

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," Booth said before leaning to kiss her.


	9. Chapter 9

Neither Booth nor Brennan told their friends about Hannah's unexpected visit. Her visit was soon followed by many other, more pleasant visits. With Rebecca's permission, Brennan brought Parker to visit his father. Booth was relieved neither Bones nor Rebecca had shared the full details of his shooting with his son. After missing an entire year of his life, Parker didn't need to know how close he'd come to losing his father.

Nevertheless, Parker seemed to have intuited the severity of the situation. Booth couldn't remember a time in recent history that Parker had been so affectionate towards him. He hoped this could erase the negative feelings that Booth knew his son had about his father having another child out of wedlock.

Booth's next visitor was less welcome. Hacker had decided that, now that Booth was out of the woods, he'd stop by for a visit. He sat at Booth's beside for an awkward fifteen minutes with Brennan glaring at him as he offered an apology for how the situation was handled.

"I can't believe he showed his head here," said an exasperated Brennan.

"His face," Booth corrected, "He showed his face. It doesn't matter, Bones. Don't let it bother you."

Bones yawned before launching into a tirade about Hacker sending her daughter's father into a clearly unsafe situation.

"We're in unsafe situations all time, Bones. This whole thing has made me wonder if it's…irresponsible for a father of two to do the job I do."

Brennan looked at her partner wide-eyed, "You wouldn't consider leaving the FBI?"

Booth shrugged, "I don't know. There are other positions at the FBI that don't involve working in the field."

"But you are good at field work," Bones said insistently, "I don't think our daughter would expect you to make a career change."

"Yeah," Booth replied hesitantly, "I think we should consider it…for the future."

"Okay," Bones said with a yawn, for once, not in the mood for an argument.

Booth reached for Bones' hand, "Go home, Bones. You can't get a night's sleep on that chair, especially when you're seven months pregnant."

"Well, I can't get a good night's sleep at home either," Bones countered.

"Bones, please. Go home. Do it for me and the baby."

Bones hesitated before agreeing. Before leaving, she left all of her phone numbers, as well as Angela and Max's with the charge nurse. When Brennan arrived home for the first time in days, she immediately crawled into bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

Booth's first visitor of the day was Sweets. He was just getting off the phone with Brennan, urging her not to rush into the hospital, when Sweets trotted cheerfully into the room.

"Bye, Bones. I'll see you soon. Love you too," Booth said before hanging up the phone.

"Is Dr. Brennan at home?" Sweets asked as he slid a cup of coffee over to Booth.

"Yeah, I was able to convince her to go home and get a good night's sleep. Thanks for the coffee."

"You're welcome. I'm sure it's been a very difficult few days for her. I know that in the past, I've been critical of Dr. Brennan's reactions to emotional events, but she's been the picture of grace under pressure in this situation."

Booth smiled faintly.

"I mean, even when she passed out, an -."

"Passed out?" Booth said sitting straight up in bed and causing pain to rip through his chest.

"Eh," stalled a nervous Sweets, "I guess she didn't tell you."

"Tell me what the hell you're talking about!" Booth shouted.

Hurriedly, Sweets stated, "When you were out of surgery, in the recovery area, they let Dr. Brennan go back to see you. From the shock of seeing you…like that, she collapsed."

"Did they – did she -."

"She received immediate medical attention, of course. She only lost consciousness for a minute. They called someone to be with her, and Angela went in. They monitored her and the baby for a while then Dr. Brennan went up to be with you."

"But they said she okay? And the baby?"

"Yes, everyone was okay," Sweets replied, tactically omitted the fact that Dr. Brennan had hit her head during the fall.

"I can't believe she didn't tell me," Booth muttered.

"I'm sure she just didn't want to worry you."

"You think?" Booth replied sarcastically.

Sweets spent the next twenty minutes making awkward small talk. He eagerly rushed out the door when Brennan arrived.

"Did you get a good night's sleep?" Booth asked.

"Yes…though I've become quite accustomed to sharing a bed with you. The bed seems very large without you."

Booth smiled, "Well, I hope to be back in the bed with you soon, Bones."

Bones studied Booth's face, "Is everything okay?"

Booth raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I've become quite adept at reading your facial expressions," Bones said proudly.

Booth smiled then his expression quickly turned somber, "Sweets told me that you passed out."

"Oh," Bones said softly.

"Bones," Booth said taking her hand, "why didn't you tell me?"

"It was a very minor event, Booth. I merely collapsed from emotional and physical exhaustion. I was monitored for a head injury, and the baby's heart rate was monitored as well. We're both fine."

"You hit your head? Geez, Bones."

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, Booth, but, honestly, it was a minor event, comparatively."

"And if I hadn't been unconscious you would have told me?" Booth pried.

"Yes, of course, Booth," Bones said without hesitation, "we are sharing our lives together for the foreseeable future. We are going to have a child together. Under normal circumstances, I would not have kept my…incident from you."

Booth's mind caught on Bones' words "foreseeable future", and he blurted out, "What do you consider the foreseeable future?"

"What?" Bones asked, her train of thought derailed.

"You said that we were sharing our lives together for the 'foreseeable future'. What does that mean for you?"

"I don't know. I love you and being with you makes me happy. Of course, whatever might happen, we will always be bound by sharing a child."

"Bound?" Booth said with disappointment, "that sounds so…confining."

"No, no," Bones said quickly, bringing her hand to Booth's cheek, "I just meant that regardless of what happens, we'd always be part of each other's lives."

Booth frowned, and Bones realized her statement didn't have the alleviating effect she'd hoped.

"The nurse called you my wife," Booth said softly.

"What?" Bones asked in surprise.

"The nurse – Amanda – she said she was my nurse after the accident. She told me my wife – you – were very devoted."

Bones blushed, "They weren't going to let me see you. I told them I was pregnant with your daughter. Then, they let me back to see you. Everyone just seemed to assume that we were married, though neither of us have wedding rings. Spouses have special visitation privileges. I didn't think there was any harm in letting them continue to believe I was your wife if it made it easier for me to be here with you."

Booth nodded, not sure what make of this. Never had he doubted Bones' devotion to him. After all, this wasn't the first time she'd kept vigil at his bedside. Furthermore, Bones had suspended her beliefs – reality even – to be with him when he needed her.

"No, no harm. I like the sound of it. You, my wife."

Bones looked at Booth with surprise.

"Look," Booth said reaching for her hand once again, "I know this isn't the time or the place, but I want to marry you."

"Booth – I."

Booth pressed a finger to Brennan's lips to silence her.

"We're already going to be a family, Bones. I love you. Nothing's _ever_ going to change that. When you are ready, I want you to be my wife."

Bones swallowed hard, "What if it's years before I'm ready…what if I'm never ready?"

"Bones, I'd wait for you forever."


	10. Chapter 10

_This is the final chapter. Thanks for coming along for the ride! For the purpose of this story, baby Booth was born in December. I have no idea what the time line is on the show, I hope they'll let us know when she's born! Happy New Year!_

* * *

><p><strong>Four Months Later…<strong>

Booth awoke at the first sound of his infant daughter's whimpers. He glanced over at his girlfriend, who was still sleeping soundly. Booth knew that Brennan must be exhausted if she wasn't waking at the sound of Christine stirring.

Booth carefully slid the covers off himself and got out of bed. He gently lifted his daughter from the bassinet and held her tight against his chest. Silently, Booth carried her into the nursery and laid her down on the changing table.

"How's my little princess?" Booth said leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.

"Let's try to do this without waking Mommy, okay? Mommy needs her sleep."

Brennan was breastfeeding, of course, so, nighttime feeding was her job. Christine, thus far, refused to take a bottle of breast milk. For the first few weeks, Booth would get up each time Brennan breastfed their daughter. Although he was, of course, glad that Bones was breastfeeding, Booth sometimes felt helpless to provide for his daughter in similar way. Being there at least made him feel helpful and Booth was surprised at how much he enjoyed watching Brennan breastfed their daughter. Rebecca hadn't breastfed Parker, and Booth doubted that she'd have let him watch. Booth hoped that he could share a bond with this daughter that paralleled the clear bond between Christine and Brennan during feedings. As time passed, Brennan insisted that Booth get some sleep during the nightly feedings. Reluctantly, Booth agreed that this was the pragmatic way to proceed.

Tonight, much to her father's surprise, Christine was quiet during her diaper change. She typically screamed as if being tortured. Holding his freshly diapered daughter, Booth sat down in the rocking chair. Booth rocked slowly as he hummed Christine a lullaby. As he hummed, he thought about the last several months and was grateful that he was there, fully recovered, rocking his daughter to sleep. With happy thought in his mind, both father and daughter drifted to sleep.

* * *

><p>When Brennan woke out of habit for Christine's early morning feeding, she was startled to find both the bassinet and Booth's side of the bed empty. Quickly pulling on her robe, she rushed to the nursery door, steering clear of the many still unpacked boxes littering the hallway. Brennan halted in the doorway and breathed a sigh of relief. Her lips curled up into a smile at the sight before her, both father and daughter sleeping.<p>

Bones had always known that Booth was a good father, but he'd exceeded even her expectations. Anyone could see how he adored their daughter. He was so tender and patient with Christine, and for that matter, with her. In the first days after they'd brought their daughter home from the hospital, she struggled with breastfeeding. While Brennan found herself frustrated that she was unable to do something that women had done for centuries, Booth was reassuring and helpful. When she was so exhausted from getting little sleep when Christine had the croup, Booth took several days off from work to care for their daughter and allow Brennan to get some sleep. Regardless of the new parenting challenge, Booth always had the right words to calm and encourage her.

While Brennan was contemplating how exceptional a father Booth was, Booth awoke.

"Hi, Bones," he whispered.

"Hi," Brennan replied with a smile.

Booth slowly rose from the rocking chair, "She was starting to stir, needed a diaper change. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you."

Booth moved towards the door.

"Wait, let's try the crib again," Brennan suggested.

Booth looked at her skeptically.

"She's nine weeks old. She'll outgrow the bassinet soon," Brennan reasoned.

Booth nodded. He gently placed Christine in the crib, hoping that it wouldn't incite the usual twenty minutes of wailing.

"We'll be right down the hall, sweetheart," Booth whispered, "I love you".

Brennan leaned over the crib, pressed to finger to her lips, then pressed her finger lightly to her daughter's forehead, and said, "Love you."

Quietly, with their breath held, they left the room. They breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the bedroom and didn't hear crying. Silently, they climbed into bed.

"Thank for letting me sleep," Brennan said.

"Any time, baby," Booth said, leaning in to give her a kiss.

"Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?"

"I'm ready."

"Ready?" he asked.

"I'm ready to marry you," she said plainly, her voice quivering ever so slightly.

Booth was speechless.

"Booth? You – you still want to get married? You haven't changed your mind. I know that officially living together at the same residence has -."

Booth pulled her close to him, "God, no. Of course I still want to marry you! Living with you in our home has made me want to even more, Bones"

Booth scrambled to his feet and fished into the drawer of his nightstand. His hand emerged holding a small velvet box. He swung around to face Brennan and popped open the box with his thumb.

"This was my grandmother's," Booth said of the diamond solitaire ring, "she and Pops had fifty years together. I hope we can have that too."

Bones smiled at the thought of them, old and gray. She remembered another time that Booth had offered her fifty years together.

"Have you had this ring long?" Brennan asked out of curiosity.

"Pops gave it to me soon after I told him that you were pregnant. He said he'd been waiting to give it to me until I'd found the right girl," Booth said sheepishly.

Bones chuckled, as she could imagine Pops saying just that.

"I guess Pops knew what I needed – what we needed – better than we did."

"Pops is very intuitive," Bones said.

"Yes, he is," Booth replied with a smile, "and he is going to be over the moon to find out that you are going to be his granddaughter in law."

With those words, Booth took the ring from its velvet box and slid it onto Brennan's finger.

"It fits perfectly," Bones remarked, admiring the shine of the diamond.

"I had it sized for you," Booth said, leaning in to kiss his fiancé.

Booth pulled back from the kiss only long enough to tell Brennan he loved her. Then, for one of the first times since their daughter was born, Booth and Bones made love. And, down the hall, Christine slept silently in her crib.

* * *

><p>The leaves were crimson and orange and their daughter nearly walking by the time Booth and Brennan married. Their guests would remember it as one of those perfect falls days, neither too warm, nor too cold. Though, their guests most likely remembered the day as perfect, because two people who were perfectly <em>imperfect<em> for each other vowed to love one another forever.

The ceremony took place on the vast lawn of the Jeffersonian. Brennan had flatly refused to be married in a church or by a priest. Since Brennan had acquiesced and allowed Christine to be baptized, Booth didn't push the issue. He knew that if it were up to his soon to be wife, they'd get married at the justice of the peace and enjoy dinner with friends afterwards.

Regardless of the setting, Booth was delighted to see his bride walk down the aisle, in a white dress, nonetheless, her face alight with joy. When they joined hands and said "I do", there was no trace of doubt in either pair of eyes. With the help of her older brother, Christine toddled down the aisle to meet her parents after the ceremony was complete. Booth quickly snatched her up into his arms. He wrapped his other arm around his bride, while she placed her hand on the shoulder of her stepson.

"I have everything I'll ever need right here," Booth whispered into Brennan's ear.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks again for reading! Please let me know what you thought of the ending!<em>


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